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Airlangga |
The famous 'Calcutta Stone',
dating from A.D. 1041, describes a terrible calamity which befell the East Javanese
kingdom of Isana in the early years of the 11th century. A rebellion incited by a jealous
vassal king resulted in the destruction of the capital of Watugaluh. The reigning king, Dharmawangsa, successor to Sri Makutawangsawardhana, was
murdered along with his entire family. Only the young Airlangga, who was aged about 16 at
the time, managed to escape unharmed.
Candi
Belahan, on the eastern slope of Mt Penanggungan, is traditionally believed to be a
memorial to King Airlangga. Seen above, statues of the goddesses Sri and Lakshmi are still
at the site. Originally they flanked the central image of Wisnu on Garuda, now on display
at the Trowulan Museum.
After spending three or four years in the safety of a forest retreat, Airlangga, as the
closest surviving relative to Dharmawangsa, emerged to take over the throne in about 1020.
The early part of his reign was spent putting down rebellions and securing the borders of
his kingdom. Among his successful military campaigns were those against King
Wishnuprabhawa of Wuratan, King Wijaya of Wengker, as well as the subjugation of a
powerful queen in the south. In 1032 Airlangga attacked and defeated the ruler of
Wurawari, who is believed to have been responsible for the earlier destruction of the old
capital of Isana.By the end of Airlangga's reign, in the mid 11th century, the kingdom
which he had established is believed to have stretched from Pasuruan in the east, to
present day Madiun in the west.
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Although there are few surviving
archaeological remains dating from his time, Airlangga is known to have been a keen patron
of the arts, notably literature. In around 1035, the court poet Mpu Kanwa produced the Arjuna
Wiwaha, which has to this day remained one of Java's most popular classical stories.
Adapted from the Indian Mahabharata epic, the poem recounts episodes in the life of
the hero sage Arjuna, who was an incarnation of the Hindu god Wishnu. There are reasons to
believe that the poem was a portrait of the life of Airlangga himself. He, like Arjuna,
was seen as a divine incarnation, apparently laid to rest at Candi Belahan, where he was
portrayed in stone as Wishnu on Garuda.
Towards the end of his life, Airlangga was faced with the problem of succession. The
rightful heir, the princess Sanggramawijaya, refused the throne, preferring to live her
life as a hermit. She is traditionally associated with the legend of Dewi Kilisuci and the
cave of Selomangleng at Kediri.
Airlangga's realm was, as a result, eventually divided between two of his sons, giving
rise to the separate kingdoms of Janggala and Kediri. It was Kediri, however, which was to
become the dominant power until the rise of Singosari in the early 13th century.
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